Device for delivering mail-bags along railroad-lines.



NO. 869,791. PATENTED 00129. 1907.

A. F. MAR-TEL. DEVIGE'FO-R DELIVERING MAIL BAGS ALONG RAILROAD LINES. AP IIIIIIIIIIIII JAN. 1111 9'07.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS 1.

I l l R W No. 869,791. PATENTED OCT. 29. 190,7. .A. F. MARTEL. DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAIL BAGS ALONG RAILROAD LINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.-

No. 869,791. PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

A.'F. MARTEL.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAIL BAGS ALONG RAILROAD LINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT'8.

UNITED snares ADELARD F. MARTEL, OF OHITTENDEN, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAIL-BAGS ALONG RAILROAD-LINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 29, 1907.

Application filed January 15, 1907. Serial No. 352,432.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADELARD F. MARTEL, a citizen of 1 the United States, residing at Chittenden, in the county of Santa Cruz and in the State of California, have invented a new and useful Device for Delivering Mail-Bags Along Railway-Lines from Moving Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is particularly applicable to that class of devices known'as catchers and cranes constructed for the purpose of picking up mail-bags along railway lines by passing cars. Such devices usually consists of a tower, built along railway tracks at various places and are provided with two adjustable arms projecting in the direction of the passing cars when in practice. The outer ends of these arms are provided with movable projecting pins, which engage rings secured at the ends of the mail-bags and thus keep said bags in 1 vertical position between the two arms until picked up by the mail-cars, while passing at that particular point by means of a catcher secured to the cars. The catcher just mentioned usually consists of a movable angular arm held in the direction of the mail-bags to be picked up, while the bags to be delivered are thrown away at their respective station, and thus often soiled or mutilated, and the contents thereof damaged by that method. My invention is particularly designed to avoid such inconvenience, and obtain a better service.

In practice, my invention makes a novel provision to secure, across the lower projecting arm of the crane previously mentioned, means to catch and hold mailbags delivered by the passing cars. And further consists to provide the ends of the catcher, also previously mentioned, means for holding the mail-bags while reaching their respective station, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification and claimed at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the following specification I have illustrated my invention as it appears in practice, connected to air ordinary constructed catcher and crane in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a mail-car and the usual catcher and crane provided with my invention as it appears after a mail-bag had been picked up and another one left on the crane. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the upper portion of an ordinarily constructed crane showing one part of my invention in position, and also the method by which the same is secured thereon. Fig. 3, is a perspective view showing a portion of the catcher secured to the mail-car and also another part of my invention and the method by which the same is secured thereon, and, Fig. 4, is a plan view of a portion of the lower projecting arm of the crane showing my invention secured thereon.

Like letters of reference designate similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

A, in Fig. 1, represents a mail-car; B,the catcher secured thereon by which the mail-bags are picked up from the cranes; O, the crane provided with its upper and lower projecting arms D. and E. and f, and g, the movable pins secured to the projecting arms by which the mail-bags are held vertically in position to be picked up by the catcher B, all of which illustrate the main features with which mail-bags are usually picked up along railway lines, and to which my inven tion relates and operate as already mentioned and will be more fully described hereinafter.

At suitable place across the lower projecting arm E is my mail-bag catch H, secured thereon by means of plate i-bolted beneath the arm as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 thus held in this manner. It will be readily seen that this part of my invention can be easily adjusted in position upon any ordinarily constructed arm without altering the same. for the purpose of this application of two parallel spring wires of suitable resistance and projecting when in position outerly at right angle from the sides of the arm and are bent to form between them inner recesses J near the sides of the arm, while the ends of the wires spread open to provide entrances to the recesses-thus formed, the wires assume the shape of a double ended fork.

To the forward end of catcher B of the mail-car is my mail-bags, holder K, consisting of two projecting spring metallic members secured in position thereon by bolt 1, adjusted in the eye or formed at the end of catcher B, as shown in Fig. 3. These members just mentioned are bent to form an inner recess n and spread open at their outer ends to provide an entrance to the recess as particularly shown in Fig. 3. In operating one of the members engages one of the rings 0 of the mail-bag which is locked within the recess 01. by the spring tendency of the member until released by the catcher H of the arm E.

To operate my invention in conjunction with the present system of picking mail-bags along railway lines by moving cars as above described I first place in position a mail-bag intended to be picked up upon the crane C, as shown in dotted line and marked 12. in Fig. 1 while the mail-bag intended to be delivered at that particular station is hung to the holder K. of the catcher B. secured to the mail-car as shown in dotted line and marked q in the same figure. As the car passes the crane provided with a mail-bag as above mentioned, the catcher B, comes in a line with the usual narrow middle portion of the bag 1 and its contact therewith forced the same to be disengaged from its position upon the crane and slide along the angular portion of catcher This catcher consists,

B and assume the position thereon, as shown in full line Fig. 1. While thus the mail-bag p. is being picked up, the middle narrow portion of mail-bag q hung to the holder K. comes in contact with catch H of the projecting arm E, then into its inner recess J, which causes, at the same time the hanging connection of the bag to be disengaged from the holder K. thus leaving the bag in the recess J of the catch H, as shown in full line Fig. 1.

The catch H being double ended so that it can be operated in either direction the cars may move and as can be seen my device may be used in conjunction with or, independently, of the present system of picking up mail-bags.

Having fully described my invention, and believing I have produced novel and useful improvements in the art to which that class of devices relates. What I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is, I

1. In combination with the. arm of a mail crane, a spring' catch projecting from both sides of the arm, and a clamp engaging the intermediate portions of the catch to hold it to the arm.

2. In combination with the arm of a mail catcher, a springcatch carried by the end of said arm, said catch comprising two sections rotatably held by the arm.

In testimony thereof 1 have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two Witnesses, this 3 day of January 1907.

ADELARD F. MARTEL.

Witneses L. Q. F. P.

I'IAVEN, RIVAS. 

